Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) announced the commencement of Nuclear Treatment of tumours following the opening of the first Radiopharmaceutical Laboratory in the country.
The new laboratory, located at the HMC National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR), will provide cancer patients with diagnostic and therapeutic care locally, saving them the need to travel abroad for this type of care.
According to HMC Senior Consultant Radiologist and Chief Radiologist Dr Maryam Al Kuwari, the new Radiopharmaceutical Laboratory undertakes the preparation of radiation drugs used for diagnosing and for nuclear treatment of tumours. She said that these drugs are safely prepared following international standards, where doses are meticulously calculated to suit the types of tumours and the needs of patients. Drug doses are also subject to quality control checks prior to administration to patients.
The nuclear treatment of tumours is based on radioactive drugs which target and destroy cancerous cells without affecting normal or healthy surrounding cells. This technique is a highly effective option to treat malignant thyroid, hepatic, prostate, and endocrine tumours. These therapeutic drugs are isotopes combined with biological molecules that target cancer cells within the human body.
Following the diagnostic process, therapeutic drugs are prepared by a highly trained team. Similar laboratories will be established across HMC facilities in the future to meet patient needs in the country, added Dr Al Kuwari.
Nuclear medicine therapy is an approach to treating cancer that may be used with or after other treatment options, such as chemotherapy and surgery. It won’t usually lead to a cure unless combined with other therapies. But for many people, it will control symptoms and shrink and stabilise the tumours, sometimes for years. Nuclear medicine therapy is sometimes the best option for people who no longer respond to other treatments.
Bringing state-of-the-art technologies to Qatar
The Nuclear Medicine unit at HMC, which is part of the Clinical Imaging Department, continues to introduce state-of-the-art technologies to expand and bring healthcare services to patients in Qatar on par with those offered worldwide. An example of the latest technologies utilised at the unit is the introduction of the 2nd Positron Emission Tomography – Computed Tomography, better known as (PET-CT).
Clinical research has shown that PET-CT diagnostic approach is far more effective than conventional scanning as it helps healthcare professionals differentiate malignant tumours from benign ones, thus enabling them to determine tumour stages, how far cancer cells are spread, and how these cells respond to treatment. Radioactive glucose is considered one of the most common drugs used in the diagnosis of tumours.
The 2nd PET-CT helps reduce patients’ wait time and allowed performing tests in a timely manner. More than 25 tests can now be performed daily at the unit. The introduction of such advanced healthcare services is indicative of HMC’s commitment to providing world-class care, as nuclear medicine is an integral part of clinical imaging and plays a vital role in the diagnosis and early detection of disease.
Dr Haya Al Meraikhi, Consultant of Diagnostic Radiation for Breast Cancer at HMC, stated that the Nuclear Medicine unit has introduced other state-of-the-art diagnostic modalities such as Positron Emission Mammography (PEM). This first of a kind tool in Qatar is licenced by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and helps diagnose early-stage breast cancer as well as remission of the condition after surgery and radiotherapy. Compared to conventional mammograms, PEM is more effective in screening young women for breast cancer as the diagnosis can be more difficult due to breast tissue density. It also provides more conclusive test results revealing tumours even less than 1-cm in size.
Interventional Radiology
Dr Ali Barah, Senior consultant and Deputy Head of Interventional Radiology at HMC, stressed the role of interventional radiology in the diagnosis and treatment of benign and malignant tumours through small incisions where guided fine catheters and visualising equipment are used to inject chemotherapy or radiotherapy drugs in the affected area without having to recourse to invasive surgery. This methodology mitigates side effects and minimises overexposure to the chemical drugs. The Interventional Radiology option is advisable when tumours exceed 3-cm in diameter or when there are more than three or multicentric tumours in one body organ, such as the liver.
Tumours less than 3-cm in diameter can also be treated either by cryotherapy – better known as Cryoablation – or by high-frequency thermotherapy, particularly tumours in the liver, kidneys and bones. For treatment with Cryoablation, a fine needle is guided by a CT or other visual device to locate the tumour in the organ and destroy the cancer cells by freezing them under extremely low temperatures.
For tumours larger than 7-cm in diameter and in cases where procedures using ordinary catheters are too hard to perform, treatment can be administered using a method known as Internal Radiotherapy where a radioactive agent (Yttrium 90) is injected in the tumour area. This agent then releases BETA rays which, in turn, destroy malignant cells.
The Interventional Radiology unit comprises a team of four consultants, one specialist and three interns. Four catheter laboratories are located at Hamad General Hospital, Ambulatory Care Center and the NCCCR. Each of these laboratories is equipped with an imaging unit and a CT system for biopsies and sampling.
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